Final Exam Update

I've just completed creating the Final Exam and you will have 65 minutes to answer 80 questions worth a total of 200 points and 2 extra credit questions worth 2 points each.  The test is a bit longer than the 75 questions I anticipated, but I've given you an extra 5 minutes for the additional 5 questions.

The Final Exam

Although it is still a few days away, I wanted to take a moment to go over what you should expect on the Final Exam.  After all, it's never too early to start preparing for it.

Discussions and the Critical Analysis give you the opportunity to demonstrate your critical thinking skills in relation to the films, film movements, and directors we've studied.  The Final Exam, on the other hand, is designed to see who has watched the films and read the assigned readings closely.  Indeed, some questions are designed simply to tell if you watched the film vs. just read about it.  And others are designed to see if you really did the assigned readings.

To help give you a better idea of what you're going to need to know, here are some examples of the type of material I will be testing you on.

1) Questions about the films themselves 

Key plot items.  For example, you should be able to tell me who was killed or who killed someone in a film. Or who was in love, who got who pregnant, who betrayed who, etc.

Themes.  For example, you should be able to tell me which film emphasized the theme of the superficiality of modern life.

Cinematography/Editing.  You should be able to tell me what was special about a film's cinematography and editing.  Or whether the film was in color or black and white?  Or which film featured montage? etc.

Things associated with a film.  If I say "chess board" you should be able to tell me which film it most applies to.

Characters.  You should be able to tell me important things about the characters.  For example, if a character walks with a limp or always wore black or changed their name, you should know that.

Key lines of dialogue. You should be able to identify key lines of dialogue and who said them.

Setting.  You should be able to tell me where a film took place, how long a period of time it covered, etc.

Sound.  You should be able to tell me if a film did something special in regards to sound or the lack thereof.

Background on the films.  For example, you should be able to tell me who wrote the screenplay and who directed the film.  And you should be able to tell me if the film was a critical or commercial success when it was originally released.

2) Questions about the films movements

Characteristics of each film movement.  You should know what defines each of the film movements.

The various schools or groups within the movement. If there are different groups within the movement, you should be able to identify them. 

Influences upon the film movement.  You should know how historical forces, other film movements, and technological developments influenced the film movement. 

How the film movement/subgroup influenced filmmaking.  You should know how each movement influenced filmmaking in general.  At times, certain subgroups have developed their own rules for filmmaking that have been influential.  You should know these.

The history of film within national cinemas.  You should understand how filmmaking developed within each national cinema.

3) Questions about major directors whose films we watched

Basic biographical information.  You should know any relevant biographical information about the director.

What the director is known for in general and re the film(s) we watched.  For example, you should know how Ozu and Kurosawa have different approaches to cinematography.

Challenges, controversy, and awards.  You should know any particular challenges the director faced in making the film(s), any controversy generated by the film(s), and any major recognition the director received.

Other films by the director.  You should be familiar on a more general level with other films made by the director, particularly those that were discussed at length in the text.

4) Questions about directors whose films we haven't watched 

There will be a few questions about other major directors who are discussed in the text, but whose films we didn't have time to watch.  

What the director is known for.  For example, in Soviet Montage, we studied Eisenstein, but a question was asked about Pudovkin because he was known for a different approach to montage.

Significant films.  You should know a film that was important in film history, even if we didn't study it.  For example, Godard's Breathless is one of two seminal films in the French New Wave.  We didn't watch the other one, made by Truffaut, but I would expect you to know its title, that he made it, and why it was important.

The Final Exam consists of 80 questions worth 200 points (plus two extra credit questions worth a total of 4 points).  You take the exam on blackboard by clicking on the Assignments link, then clicking on  Final Fall 2011.

The Final is made up of True/False, Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer, Fill-in-the-blank(s), and Matching questions.

You will have 65 minutes to take the exam.  You should set your own timer, so that you do not exceed the time limit.  You will lose one point for each minute you go over the time limit.

You will receive the questions one at a time.  Once you pass a question by, there is no going back to it.

The Final is open book/open note, but given the time constraints you won't have much time to go searching for answers.

And you must close all other windows and browsers before and during the exam, as multiple windows or browsers will cause the exam to crash.  Also, be sure your browser it up-to-date.

If you have technological problems for reasons other than multiple windows or browsers when taking the exam, email me ASAP.

Good Luck!

Interview with Tomas Alfredson

Click below to read an interview with the director of Let the Right One In:

Bright Lights Film Journal :: Of Bullies and Blood Drinkers: Talking to Tomas Alfredson about Let the Right One In

Advice for your Critical Analysis Essay

As you're all aware, the Critical Analysis is due Saturday 12/3.  While your Critical Analysis is a bit different than the standard essay paper (click on the Critical Analysis link on the tabbed menu above if you haven't already), many of the points made in the advice I give students when writing a typical essay paper apply.  Therefore, I'm including my advice on how to write more effective essays below.   

How to Write More Effective Essays

1) Have an interesting title.  Think of the title appearing in a Table of Contents.  Would your title entice a reader to choose it first to read?

2) In screenplays we call the first five minutes the hook. They tell screenwriters that if you can't hook the reader of the screenplay in the first five pages, agents and studio readers often won't read any further.  The same approach applies to an essay.  Your introductory paragraph is your hook.  You need to grab your audience's attention.  Use the trick screenwriters do...start in medias res (the middle of things). This forces your audience to catch up and draws them into your paper. Finally, most teachers will tell you that they can recognize an A paper in the first paragraph.  Ask yourself, is this an A intro?

3) Deeper is better than broader in analysis.  A common error in student essays is that the writer tries to cover too much material in a relatively short essay.  It is preferable to focus on a  specific/narrower topic and explore it in greater depth than to provide a broad but shallow analysis.

4) When writing about literature or film, be sure to give your reader enough context to understand what's going on even if they have not read the book or seen the film.  The ultimate goal is to write publishable essays and you can't assume that everyone in your audience will have read the text or seen the film recently enough to remember everything. 

5) Make sure that you get the details correct.  For example, you should know that all movie titles are italicized.  Also, getting a title or character wrong in your essay ruins your credibility. Imagine if you are reading an essay about Star Wars that constantly refers to the film as Star Trek.  How much confidence would you have in the writer?

6) Eliminate all the boring parts. Don't tell me "This essay is about . . . ."  Your writing should not sound like a five paragraph essay that you wrote in high school.  So don't tell me what it is about or what you are going to cover.  Just get to the interesting stuff. 

7) Support, support, support. You must support your analysis with the three E's: evidence, examples, and experts.

8) Use metaphors. As humans we think metaphorically. Therefore, if you want to communicate effectively and efficiently, metaphors are like having a brilliant translator at your side when visiting a country where you don't speak the language.

9) Your papers should have perfect mechanics.  Use spell check, grammar check, and have someone else read your paper.  You don't want to distract your reader with easily correctable errors.  Besides, these types of errors tell the reader that you don't care.  And if you don't care, then why should the professor care about giving you a good grade?

10) Your conclusion is typically the last thing read before your paper is graded.  Just as introductions are critical, so are conclusions.  It should be the strongest part of your paper. And do not simply repeat what you've already said.  The five paragraph essay should be dead to you.

11) When writing your essay, you don't have to write it in order.  It's fine to start with a body paragraph and to even leave notes for yourself in the draft like "I need to get a good quote here" or "I need to research x."  Simply getting started on an essay can build positive momentum.

12) Give yourself enough time for a rewrite.  Just about everyone will write a better paper if given the opportunity to rewrite it.  Professional writers know this, so should you.

13) Finally, pick a topic that you find interesting and try to make your paper entertaining as well as informative.  Typically, people do not spend enough time coming up with a good idea.  You should always force yourself to come up with, at least, five ideas.  If you do this, often you'll find that your first idea was not the best.  And don't be afraid to let your voice come through in your essay.  Remember, no one wants to write or read a boring paper.

Good Luck!

Things to Watch for in The Seventh Seal

The following are some things to watch for as you view The Seventh Seal a second time:

• The title of the film comes from Revelation 8:1 – “And when the Lamb had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.” The silence refers to the silence of God in our world. Notice how that is a theme throughout the film.
  
• Notice how the chess game goes on throughout the entire movie. This could be a parallel to everyone’s life. In a way, we’re all playing a chess game with Death.
  
• When it was released, many critics compared The Seventh Seal to Dreyer's The Passion of Joan of Arc. Do you see a resemblance?
  
• Block is the main character who is ravaged by the silence of God. Notice how he spends the film unable to believe, but unwilling to not believe.
  
• Does the relationship between the knight Block and his squire Jöns remind you of the relationship between Don Quixote and Sancho Panza?
  
• Bergman’s representation of Death and his main character playing chess with Death has been parodied many times. Where else have you seen these representations?
  
• Notice how Death here doesn’t seem to be taking people to judgment, but taking people into the unknown. He seems to not be working for God at all.
  
• Notice the intentional use of Jof and Mia as parallels to Joseph and Mary.
  
• Notice the how Eucharistic the strawberry and milk picnic seems. Conversely, notice how bread and wine are man-made items while strawberries and milk are natural.
  
• Notice how organized religion and its representatives are portrayed in the film.
  
• The movie is based on Bergman’s play "Wood Painting." Notice the similarities between the movie and a play: simple scenarios and camera movements.
  
• Note how Jof represents the artist and how he, like Block, can see death.
  
• Note how the mute girl appears to see Death in the castle before anyone else. Why?
  
• Trivia: The inspiration for this film was said to be drawn from the period films of Akira Kurosawa, of which Ingmar Bergman was a big fan.
  
• More Trivia: The chess pieces used in the movie was sold from Ingmar Bergman's descendent's estate in 2009 for 1m Swedish Krona (around USD$145,000 at the time).

Critical Analysis Link is now Active/New Poll Question

Please note that I have activated the Critical Analysis link (see the tabbed menu above).  Be sure to read through it today, so that you can begin thinking about the topic you want to write about.  Also note that if you want to write on a topic other than the ones I've outlined as options, you will need my approval at least two weeks before the paper's due date.  So email me your topic (if it's not one of the first nine options listed) ASAP. 

I've also posted a new poll question.  Please respond.

Things to Watch For in La Dolce Vita

The following are some things to watch for as you view La Dolce Vita a second time:

• Note the irony in the film's title.
  
  
• Note how the film is divided into 7 episodes and how the action typically occurs in the wee hours of the morning.  Is there any significance to this? 
  
  
• Note the famous Trevi fountain scene. What is its significance?
  
  
• Note the religious imagery throughout the film.  
  
  
• Note the theme of the sacred and the profane. How is that illustrated in the famous opening scene with the statue of Jesus being towed by helicopter?
  
  
• Note the movie posters on the wall where Marcello and his date pick up the prostitute.
  
  
• What does Steiner represent to Marcello? Note the framing of the scene with Marcello, Steiner, and the cross. Note the contrast between Marcello's work and Steiner's? Why does Steiner become a family annihilator?
  
  
• Note Marcello's relationship with his father.  Note the statue of the female body that is present behind Marcello's father while they're in the cabaret. It is featured around him and behind him in every shot. Why do you think this is?
  
  
• How does Fellini portray the paparazzi? What is Marcello's relationship with his co-workers?
  
  
• Note the contrast between Marcello's crush the movie star Sylvia and Marcello's fiance Emma.
  
  
• What statement is Fellini making with the scene of the children and their "miracle"?
  
  
• What is the significance of the leviathan, the stingray-like creature that is washed up on the beach?
  
  
• What is the significance of the young waitress Paola? Note the lighting in the scenes with her. What does it mean when Marcello cannot hear her at the end of the film?
  
  
• Trivia: The film contributed the term "paparazzo" to the language. The term derives from Marcello's photographer friend Paparazzo. Federico Fellini took the name "Paparazzo", as he explained in a later interview, from the name of someone he met in Calabria (Southern Italy) where Greek names are still common. "Paparazzi" is the plural meaning. 
  
  
• More Trivia: When shooting the famous Fontana di Trevi scene, director Federico Fellini complained that the water in the fountain looked dirty. A representative of Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) present at the shooting was able to supply the film team with some of the airline's green sea dye marker (for use in case of an emergency landing at sea). This was used to color the water, and the director was satisfied.